1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a handle for a gurney.
2. Description of Related Art
Handles for devices for moving sick, injured or immobile people are known in the art. However, none of the prior art teaches a gurney handle which can be attached to a gurney to allow a person to push or pull a gurney from a comfortable angle. Presently, gurneys are built so that a person can push or pull them. However, the gurney is generally to be pushed or pulled from the guard rail. The angle for the pushing or pulling thus puts an uncomfortable strain on the person pushing or pulling.
Known related art includes the wheelchair handle depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,650 to Eberle, Jr. and the wheelchair handle extension of U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,225 to Frycek. Frycek relates to handle extenders for a wheelchair for ascending or descending stairs with a wheelchair. Eberle, Jr. relates to an invention for the one-handed steering of a wheelchair. None of these prior art inventions address the reduction of stress to the person pushing or pulling a gurney. Also, these inventions relate to extensions for wheelchairs the handles of which are hollow.
Other known related art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,673 to Smith and U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,254 to Boettcher. Smith is an undercarriage extension for a stretcher. However, the point at which a person steers the stretcher remain at the same level as the stretcher. Thus, with Smith, a person is still pushing or pulling the stretcher at an uncomfortable angle. Boettcher is an apparatus for lifting a person. The handle is an intrinsic part to the wheeled lift apparatus and is bolted onto brackets. It does not relate to attachment to a gurney.
None of the devices in the above references describe attaching a handle to a gurney. The proposed invention aids in maneuvering a gurney by making the point of pushing or pulling higher and easier to use than the support railing which would otherwise be used.
The present invention is a handle for a gurney. The principal object of the invention is to provide a gurney handle with a generally U-shaped handle having a transverse member and two longitudinal generally parallel support members, wherein the R distal end of each support member has means for attachment to a gurney frame member.
In one embodiment, the gurney handle comprises a generally U-shaped handle having a transverse member and two longitudinal generally parallel support members, each support member having a predetermined length and a proximal end and a distal end and the distal end of each support member having means for attachment to a gurney frame member. In another embodiment, the length of the support members is adjustable.
In yet another embodiment, each support members comprises a proximal element, a hollow distal element, wherein the proximal element telescopes into the distal element and means located at the proximal end of the distal element for interlocking the proximal element and the distal element. In still another embodiment, each support members comprises a hollow proximal element, a distal element, wherein the distal element telescopes into the proximal element and means located at the distal end of the proximal element for interlocking the proximal element and the distal element. In still another embodiment, the length of the support members is adjustable by the placement of a button on one element into a hole in the other element.
In yet another embodiment, each support member further comprises a proximal support element, a distal support element and collapsible means for articulating the proximal elements into proximal relation with the distal elements, said means located between the proximal element and the distal element, the collapsible means further having means for interlocking the proximal and distal support elements in an axial alignment.
In another embodiment, the means for interlocking the proximal and distal support elements in an axial alignment includes a pin of sufficient length to extend partially into both the proximal element and the distal element and a nipple radially extending from the pin into a C-shaped channel in the proximal element, such that when the proximal element is axially aligned with the distal element, and the nipple is in a lower end of the C-shaped channel, the support member is fully extended and the proximal element and distal elements are interlocked, and when the nipple is in an upper end of the C-shaped channel, the pin disengages the distal element thereby allowing the gurney handle to be partially folded down. In yet still another embodiment, the means for attachment to a gurney frame member includes swivel means for attaching the support members to a transversely, vertically or angularly directed frame member.